0014: ((walks out onto a stage; the curtain is closed and she is in the spotlight)) We were nine ordinary girls, living nine ordinary lives. We were perfectly happy with the way we were. ((walks off))
0015: ((walks on, faces crowd, holds out Soul Eater)) Black Ghost kidnapped us one day and turned us nine into cyborgs. We were given abilities beyond what people thought possible…but we never asked for this. ((exits))
((sad and slow piano begins to play in C Minor))
0016: ((enters wearing cyborg uniform)) We went from normal girls to death machines overnight. We could kill anything…and anyone…that got in our way. ((leaves))
0017: ((holds up hammer)) We joined a rebellion that had formed years ago; they were also cyborgs created and kidnapped by Black Ghost. It was then that we learned what they could truly do to us. ((walks off, and curtains rise to show something cool))
Behind the curtain: Sadie is wearing sapphire blue slip dress and matching stilettos, her hair is done into a half-ponytail; she has on mascara and blush. Joe (the beta!) is wearing a tux and sitting on a glossy piano bench, playing a grand piano. Sadie is holding a cordless mike. The backdrop is black with pale blue bubbles painted onto it.
Sadie: We'd like to thank everyone for coming out this evening ((waves hand, and lights in the audience dim, stage lights come on)) to watch this performance. Tonight we will be performing Holding Out for a Hero. Joe will be our pianist, Julia our conductor, and Rose our lead light specialist. On their behalf, I thank you once more.
((audience lights dim further, light clapping echoes around))
This will be the song during the chapter, and ((This)) movement or tempo change.
"This" is spoken by the cyborgs and humans.
This is the humans/cyborgs thinking to themselves.
(This) is cyborgs/humans sharing thoughts.
Joe: We disclaim the rights to Cyborg 009, Holding Out for a Hero, and many of the characters in this story. Please remain in your seats and enjoy the show!
&-&-&-
D.S. al Coda
Chapter Ten: D.S. al Coda
&-&-&-&-
((Audience lights fade out while silver light sparkles around Sadie)) Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to dedicate this song to Princess Mika, and her new husband…Prince Duo. ((piano plays softly))
((They begin the song. It's like a slow dance. Piano and vocal are on solo.))
Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where's the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?
"Welcome to the end of the world." A girl said.
The bunch walked through the wooden door frame. They were standing now in an entirely glass room, lit by a warm pinkish glow. Nine figures sat on nine small columns of glass.
The first was a female with think brown hair, plaited into a braid, and bright green eyes. She wore a thin black sweater splattered by neon colors with belled sleeves. Her black jeans were torn and safety pinned; she was evidently making fun of the Scarl style.
The second was a boy with short and spiky sky blue hair and identical eyes. He wore a medium blue t-shirt that had a magnet printed on and "chick magnet" beneath that. His baggy blue jeans had two chains and his black shoes were well worn.
Third was a girl with honey-blond hair that reached just past her shoulders and frosty blue eyes. She wore an ice blue sleeveless shirt that read "oc", a purple belt, flared light blue jeans, and seafoam green tennis shoes.
Next to her was another boy. He had ocean blue hair and laughing blue eyes. On the bridge of his nose were circular tinted blue glasses. His faded blue sweatshirt was pushed up to his elbows, and a double-looped silver belt held up his worn jeans. His blue Nikes had several signs of aging in them.
After him was a fourth girl. She had long, straight, mist-colored hair. She wore a sleeveless turtleneck sweater the color of ivory. Two inches down, a pair of ivory arm warmers stretched down to cover up to her fingers and had a thumbhole; her fingers were long. She had a sand-blasted pleated denim skirt and beige sneakers that were a size too large for her small feet.
Sixth was a boy. He had sea-green hair that was tied into a thin ponytail at the nape of his neck. His bright green eyes sparkled in laughter. He wore a green t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and dark green Converse.
As they looked to the next girl, she pushed her hair away from her eyes. It was In Somnis Veritas. She laughed at their astonished faces.
The next to last was a boy. He had raven-colored hair that was contrasted by his ruby eyes. His red t-shirt had the Converse logo printed on it, and his jeans sported the South Pole logo. On his feet were black Converse.
Last in the line was a girl with purple hair that reached just past her chest and sparkling purple eyes. Her sweatshirt had an omega symbol printed on the chest in black, and her jeans were sand-blasted and held up by a crisscrossed black belt. Her purple shoes were identical to the color of her hair.
"As Omega said before," The first girl said, "Welcome to the end of the world. We're glad you could make it." She had a light voice, like a flute playing its low notes.
"Epona!" Verita squealed. The first girl looked a little taken back, then noticed the blood-red-haired cyborg dashing toward her. They hugged.
"It's nice to have you back, Omnes Verita," The first girl said. "Ooops! We never introduced ourselves! I'm Epona!"
"Kronos," His voice was deep, but his light hair lessened the effect.
"Pandora," The second girl said. She lifted a small box from behind her. "And this is my box." Her voice was pretty, with a little flair at the end of her sentence.
"Poseidon." His voice was lined lightly with laughter, and deeper than Kronos's.
"Fate." She had a voice that sounded nearly as delicate as she looked.
"Panthos," He had a voice that was begging to laugh out loud, and a little higher than Poseidon's.
"Just call me ISV!" In Somnis Veritas said. "And she's OV."
"Epsilon." As he spoke, it was like a clarinet on its bottom notes.
"And I'm Omega," The last girl greeted. Her voice was energetic and commanding, as if a trombone were hitting its highest notes. "You've done well! But, you have only more fighting. The Ultimate Stage of Project Meteor is going underway soon."
"Hold up!" 0021 exclaimed. "Are you Generation Zero?"
"You bet we are!" Epona said. Fate stood and walked to them.
"You were destined to come here…" She said. "Maybe, there's the slight possibility in hell's inferno, that one of you is destined to open Pandora's Box."
"Okay, Omega, you owe me ten." Kronos said. Omega stood up and whacked him on the head.
"Come on, dork. Do you lot have any other questions?" Omega was addressing the cyborgs.
Before she knew what she was saying, 0034 blurted out, "Why were we created?"
Generation Zero froze. Pandora shifted.
"You were created because of us," She began. "0042 was meant to be Poseidon's clone, for example. About seventy-four years ago, Black Ghost asked us ten to come and join him for tea. Before that, we had never met. So we went to tea. Black Ghost offered us to become cyborgs, and to have the power to take over the world. All ten of us refused this offer with a passion. We darted from the tea, Black Ghost hot on our heels."
Panthos took over. "Four years later, BG gave up his search for us. He decided this time not to ask the people he wanted as cyborgs. Thus is how Generations One and Two were captured. It's our fault."
"I need a camera!" ISV exclaimed. "Panthos is actually apologizing!"
Poseidon laughed. He looked up and saw meteors falling to the Earth.
"We have problems. Enough talking, we can explain to them later. Right now, they need to see the glass atrium."
"Wait." Pandora ordered. "My box. One of you has to be able to open it. When the true Pandora sealed it so curiosity could never seep over us again, she made a mistake. Only a person with a pure soul may open the box. I can't. You'll know when."
"What's the myth?" 002 asked. ISV rolled her eyes to Pandora like 'I-told-you-so'.
"Pandora was the first woman on Earth. In short, she opened a box and let all the evil in the world out. She mistakenly withheld hope from escaping. Our Pandora wants to open the box and free hope." Fate explained.
They walked to a glass dome that had a huge glass door. There were several jet planes ready to go.
"Pick a jet, any jet," Epsilon said.
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need
"Hn? 0019?" Diana asked, waking up from her daze. 0019 dropped down from the tree above.
"Feeling a little better?" 0019 asked, helping her sister to stand. "You seem to be. Here, let's change right now so it's easier. Andrew said it was going to start soon."
The two clasped hands and transformed into the gold and white gowns once more. Diana stumbled backwards, only to have Andrew catch her.
"She's fine," He said into his headset.
"Good. He's here to take me to the orb." Alexa said from another end. She lifted the set delicately from her head and accepted her father's hand. Alexa stood and they exited the small preparation room. Her skirt swished around her feet.
Scarl held his daughter's hand at a shoulder level. He wore his usual mask and cloak.
They reached the small orb. It was mostly a glass window and metal. Alexa lowered herself inside and looked around. A dagger with a glinting silver blade and a few controls awaited her. Her father pressed a few buttons, and the orb released.
She flew on a pre-programmed path to a location directly above the Northern Hemisphere. She lifted the dagger and saw Pierre and Andrew circling around her tiny orb.
"Thanks," She whispered. She held the dagger up and flipped a speaker switch. "I, Alexa Genevieve Scarl, give my own life to obtain power…"
She raised her right wrist and cut a gash across and down it. "I shed my own blood as a sacrifice to destroy the human race!"
She ignored the blood dripping from both the dagger and her wrist. She cut two diagonal cuts on her left wrist. "Let the Scarl family rule the universe from this day forth!"
Alexa sat on her skirt, in a pool of her own blood. Andrew looked concerned for her and Pierre looked over to his other side.
There was a fantastic blast of black light that came from Alexa's orb. Kronos looked up through the glass atrium to see it.
"Hurry up! They just unleashed a weird energy!" He shouted. 0017 closed the hatch to her jet and flew off. Epsilon ran out the giant glass door into space. 009 ran the jet to Epsilon.
"What happened?" 009 asked.
"I actually have no idea," Epsilon answered. Omega smiled at 009.
"Relax! You'll only fight worse if you're tense. Trust the people around you." Omega said, right before jumping into another jet and flying it out of the atrium.
"Best of luck, 009!" Epsilon shouted after him. He was out in space at that moment and seemed to be able to breathe perfectly fine. 009 zoomed out in the unfamiliar jet to join him. 009 saw Fate and Kronos walking around as if it were perfectly normal conditions. After a minute of watching them, he saw Kronos sprinkling blue dust around and Fate waving her hand to emit a white light over it.
(Omega! Where are you?) 009 could hear Epona calling.
(Epona, calm down. I'm right behind you!) Omega said.
(Are…you cyborgs?) 009 asked them. Omega flew over to fly next to him.
(Nope. Organic humans, that we are. We were born like this…most of our names are what our powers are. For example: I am Omega. Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet. I'm granted with the power of the end.) Omega answered him. (You remember Apollo and that bunch?)
(Yeah,) 002 said.
Omega flipped her purple hair around. (It's like that.)
(Oy, quit your yapping!) Panthos shouted. (They're headed this way, with power!)
ISV jumped out from behind the moon. (They have Diana and Artemis, and Josephine wants to call out Helios and Luna! Take Josephine out first, then the others!)
(Helios and Luna?…) 0021 echoed, confused. (And Artemis?)
(Helios and Luna are Diana's brother and sister. Artemis is 0019's name.) OV explained, already back in style. She appeared next to her sister in a black t-shirt, destroyed jeans and red sneakers. Her hair had been tied into a pair of low-set pigtails.
"Foolish cyborgs!" Josephine's voice crackled through their jets, and for Generation Zero, their heads. Her face appeared in screens on the jets. "Give up now and we'll think about releasing 0050 and 0016!"
In her battle ship, she flicked the screen off and turned to face her already captive cyborgs.
"Well well, the first slaves of our new empire," Josephine said, tracing a finger down 0050's neck. 0050 slapped the hand away.
"Try and take us alive, bitch," 0016 said. She looked and saw Pandora out the window, a beam of seafoam light cast from her hand, controlling a meteor.
The meteor struck. In the split second that Josephine looked away, 0016 burned their bindings off and darted for dear life.
"Watch it!" 0050 shouted. They ducked and somersaulted, right before landing themselves in front of…
((song picks up speed; lights kick on in the background and the backdrop is now purple. Sadie starts dancing along, while Joe laughs his evil laugh))
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero until the end of the night
And he's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
"SHATTERING EMERALD DESTINY!"
"TIME VORTEX!"
"WATER WHEEL!"
The three attacks were shouted in rapid succession. Fate threw her arms up and an emerald boom shattered the machines and glass on Josephine's warship. Kronos and Poseidon held out one hand apiece to send both a black and bright blue swirl toward Alexa's orb.
"HEY YOU! BACK OFF MY BOSS!" A thoroughly pissed 0019 shouted. She wore the strange white outfit once again. But this time, long, black, feathery wings extended for six feet out of her shoulderblades.
"Arty-chan has arrived!" ISV laughed. She sent a red beam of light out. "DREAMAHOLIC!"
A black casing weaved itself around 0019….
"TAKE IT!" 0017 called joyfully. She released hundreds of bullets into the black of space toward Andrew. Andrew dodged all but one, and that one he blocked. Diana sprang from behind him. She wore the same clothes as 0019 did, but her wings were a mere foot long and were snow white.
"Let's go, you and me, one on one," Diana said. She tossed a white light out of her left hand. "LUNA RAY!"
The light fell like a light rain toward her palm. She held her arm up, and the drops of light formed themselves into one. Taking aim, she fired for 0043's jet. 0043 quickly became a fly and flew from the jet as it was about to explode. She became a clone of Diana and pulled off the same maneuver.
Diana quickly held up her arms. "Defend!"
A shadow copy of the moon fell around her and she was shielded from the attack. Diana was very obviously tired. Andrew jumped in front of her and unleashed his two hundred bullets for 0017. 0017 deflected the bullets with her magnetism and laughed.
… "Pierre?" 0050 asked, standing up. They weren't at gunpoint, although it seemed as though they should have been.
"There's not much time before Josephine realizes that something's wrong," Pierre said in a hurried whisper. "Once she gets back online with all the equipment, she'll find out that when Alexa committed suicide, full power didn't come. We'll have to kill…"
"But Pierre," 0050 said. "Why are you not trying to kill us?"
"I wanted to say goodbye, Deak…" Pierre muttered, grasping her hands. "And that I'm sorry…"
0050 blushed lightly. They kissed each other, then quickly broke away. 0016 watched the scene with mild interest until the kiss. Once Pierre ran off, 0050 sighed.
"I probably won't see him again…" 0050 said.
"WHAT?" Josephine roared. Today was supposed to be her day. How come when Alexa died, she didn't obtain full power?
"Might I suggest," A shaking 0020 said. "That you had to kill Jessica and Raven to complete the set?"
All of their machines were busted, so Josephine had no sense if the cyborg was correct or not. Josephine looked out into the area without gravity. She could see Andrew fighting, as well as all the cyborgs. She could also see the two satellites where Raven and Jessica currently were.
With but a wave of her hand, Josephine had the two triplets standing in front of her. They seemed surprised.
"Yes, Josephine?" Raven asked meekly. 0018 and 0049 took daggers noiselessly from their belts and cut slits in the triplets' throats. The two fainted, and eventually stopped breathing altogether.
"YES! I can feel it coming on!"…
Epona just missed being clipped by a bullet from 0037. Omega tried to fly into 0037, but 0037 caught the nose of the jet and flung it toward the moon. Omega had no option but to be pinned into her seat by the tremendous force. As they struck the surface, 0037 could hear the screech of pain.
"You're going to pay for this in spades," Epona said. "ALPHA DAWN!"
Beams of sunlight sparkled around 0037 and tried to crush her. 0037 tried to struggle against her bonds, but the more she squirmed, the tighter the bands became.
(Am I still alive? If so, respond…) Omega's weak voice came.
(Oh, Omega, I'm so sorry!) 0034 answered Omega's call.
(No worries,) Omega replied. (You may have to pull me out. Also, check and see if Josie obtained the power…'cause it feels that way.)
I need a heroI'm holding out for a hero until the morning light
And he's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
Larger than life
Swirling blasts of deep purple light danced through the vast expanse around Josephine. The indistinguishable bodies of Alexa, Jessica and Raven lifted from where they had laid dead to shrivel into nothingness. All the fighting froze.
Josephine cackled. Light sparkled from her palms. She was God. She ruled the universe and all it contained. Pandora clutched her box to her chest and wept. 0021 circled in her jet, trying to ignore the facts that they were all facing.
(Shit. I changed.) Omega said. For crashing into a natural satellite, she looked perfectly fine. Well, except that her sweatshirt was gone. Golden armbands replaced it, and covering her bosom was a white strap of cloth that was tied in the back. Omega did not seem to be pleased with this.
(Kronos…it's time.) Fate said. (After we do this, you will have to take it into your own hands. This is as far as we can take you. The rest is in your hands.)
Kronos glanced upward. "BLUE FATE…"
Fate jumped. "WHITE DESTINY!"
The powder Kronos had sprinkled earlier exploded. Time seemed to freeze with a pale blue shine covering the planets and distant stars. Only the humans, cyborgs and their machines remained with motion.
"Here. Take this." Pandora said to 0015. "One of you may be able to open it."
Generation Zero vanished altogether. 0015 threw the box to 0017 and tried to attack Pierre with her sword.
"No no no, little one," Josephine teased. She threw a hand out and 0015 was frozen along with everything else. Her sword was raised. "Get that box! It could destroy what we need!"
Andrew flew toward 0017. 0017, who had just closed her hatch, flew off as fast as she could go. Pandora's Box was clutched in between her feet.
0016 took aim for Pierre. 0050 was aiming for Andrew.
"Ready?" 0050 asked.
"Why shouldn't I be?" 0016 asked, then fired her ice at Pierre. 0050 sat down on a cannon, lit it, and the ball fired from it. Both attacks only missed their targets by a foot.
"WATCH THIS!" 0021 shouted from inside her jet. She held a hand out, and the moon began to move. She continued to move it until it smacked where Josephine and 0019 stood. 0019 frowned.
"UMBRA STRIKE!" She roared. Black cords wound themselves around 0021's limbs. 0021 realized that this wasn't any ordinary binding attack once she felt the darkness seep into her mind. She tried to push it out, but it wouldn't leave.
"Give up, fool," Josephine commanded. 0021 had no choice but to obey, and the attack shrouded her mind. The moon returned to its orbit. 0021 screamed and her uniform turned black with silver buttons and cape. Her eyes dimmed to murky blue-gray and she flew to Josephine.
"My little slave," Josephine said, ordering 0021 out of the jet. 0017 and 0034 saw and nodded to one another. Both unleashed, in a combined effort, about a thousand bullets toward Josephine. 0021 threw her weight about in a ragdoll-like fashion and deflected the bullets.
"Do you know why 0021 was created?" Josephine asked. Her size multiplied by about twenty, so she towered over the solar system. "0021 was meant to be my pet. But you stole her from me! Now I have her back and I can once again take my power!"
(Oy, you may want to do something, 0043 and 007.) Panthos suggested. (Multiply yourselves so it looks like there's more. Trust me, you can do it.)
(Worth a shot,) 007 confirmed with 0043. She shrugged in reply.
"HEY BOZO!" 0043 shouted. She got Andrew and Marco's attention in response. "IF YOU BITCHES CAN CATCH US, YOU CAN TAKE US ALIVE!"
"0043!" 007 groaned. She took off, leaving copies of herself in her wake. 007 shook his head and took off after her.
Instantly, Macro and Andrew began firing. 0043 hit her accelerator and took off leaving hundreds of clones per second.
"GET THE BOX!" Josephine commanded 0021. 0021 jumped from her place and flew toward 0017. 0017 hit her accelerator, and 0021 followed her lead. No matter how fast she went, 0017 couldn't shake 0021. Finally, she left acceleration mode with her jet in shambles. 0021 slowed and blasted the jet with all she could muster.
The jet was barely recognizable. 0021 broke through the hatch and grabbed the box. 0017 was knocked out cold and had several bleeding gashes, and even more unseen by 0021's harsh eyes.
"Bring it here," Josephine said. 0021 obeyed, and just as she was about to pass off the box…
((song slows just a little, Sadie stops dancing but the background stays lit))
Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There's someone reaching back for me
"Well, at least we know that 0043 and 007 are doing some good," Panthos said. Epona waved her hand at him.
"But hell is controlling their most powerful asset, 0015's gone, and Pandora's Box is going to be destroyed." Epona replied.
…009 blasted it from her hands. The box fell to the ground near 0021's feet.
"You pick it up and I'll kill you," 0016 said above her. 0021 was torn between obeying Josephine, or listening to 009 and 0016. She bent down to pick it up and struggled to move toward 009.
"Take it," She whispered. "Please."
009 gently lifted the box from her hands and flew for it. Seconds later, Josephine realized what had happened.
"0019! Get 009!" Josephine ordered. 0019 flew to the rouge cyborg.
"You poor, deranged fool," 0019 shouted, then took aim with her blaster. When that didn't work, she stopped. "We'll see…ESCAPE MY ARROWS!"
A bow and a quiver of arrows appeared in her hands. 0019 knocked three and took aim for 009. She loosed the arrows and they flew for him, fire lighting their tips.
His jet took the arrows. Seconds later as he began to spiral down, Fate appeared next to him.
(The bearer of Pandora's Box, at current, is 009,) She reported. 009 noticed that a white beam of light was pulling him out of the nosedive and back toward the fight.
(You really need to give that to the person you love,) Fate said to him. (That's all for now. Poseidon and Panthos may be by later if you haven't figured it out yet.)
She disappeared once more. 009 found that his jet was repaired, and he still held the box. But Fate had said something about his love. Did she mean 0021 or 003? He was torn: 0021 loved him, as did 003. But whom did he want to give his love to?
"YOU DIPSTICKS CAN'T FUCKING CATCH US!" 0043 roared. She was laughing at Marco and Andrew. Their focus had dwindled. Diana came flying by.
"Allow me," She said calmly. Taking aim, she fired two rays of light at 0043 and 007. The rays struck 0043 and 007, who were knocked unconscious instantly. 0014 flew by in her jet and caught them as they fell.
(0043 and 007 just got it,) 0014 said.
(Well shit, we could use help!) 0050 snapped. (0017's missing, 0021 is fighting everything that comes near her, and we have a crazed archer.)
0014 got there as fast as she could. It was not a pretty picture.
0034 was being shocked in her jet by the power-crazed Josephine, 0042 was trying desperately to find 0017, and the rest were trying to coax 0021 out of shooting them. 0014 sprang out of her jet and found that Poseidon was standing next to her.
"This isn't very good," He mumbled. "0017 is over yonder. I'll set her jet so she'll fly back to the atrium. What you can do…" He gave her a large smile. "You figure it out."
He was gone once more. 0034 lay toasted in her jet. 0021 drew her arms in tightly and curled into a ball.
"Don't worry, little cyborgs," Josephine taunted. A beam of lightning came down to try and strike 0042, but 0014 realized what Poseidon had reminded her of.
"BEAT THIS, BITCH!" 0014 cried, and sent the lightning right back at Josephine. 0021 jumped up and fired a brilliant pink blast for Josephine, who had shrunk back to size.
"0037!" 0049 called. 0037 ran off toward Josephine.
"0021! Aim for her legs!" 0037 shouted to 0021. The opposing team was shocked. Why was 0037 helping them? But 0021 wasted no time and shot for Josephine once again.
Josephine reflected the bullet and it shot 0037 in the heart. She flickered away, as if she were a hologram.
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heatIt's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet
Fate stomped her foot down on the glass. "YOU FUCKING IDIOTS! OPEN THE BOX!"
Epsilon laughed. "Fate, this is the most fun you've been since…well, since ever."
ISV smacked him upside the head. "Oy, just let her steam."
009 threw the box to 0021. 0021 looked at him with a shocked expression.
"This isn't for me. I can't open it." 0021 said, handing it back to him. He looked at her. "I'm sorry, 009…" Silver tears spilled down her cheeks. For a moment, he watched as she showed him that the lid would not lift for her. As he was about to accept it back from her, Marco shot it from their hands.
"That's ours, mind you," Pierre said, lifting it and hurtling it to Josephine. She caught it and stumbled back a little.
"Do you know why I can open this?" Josephine asked, stepping back into her swirling purple vortex. "My heart is pure…pure evil!"
She tried to open the lid, but it wouldn't come. 0021 snickered.
"BITCH!" Josephine snapped. A blast of fire erupted around 0021 and she flew off once more in her jet.
"Make me, and I may!" 0021 replied happily. Josephine was royally pissed off and was willing to show it. 0021 wanted to shake the knowledge that she couldn't open Pandora's Box.
By some random instinct, Diana sprang in front of 0021.
(Don't you dare hurt her,) 0019 said. Josephine gave a shriek of rage.
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ALL CONVERTING! DON'T YOU WANT POWER?" She demanded. Her gaze, along with all her siblings', fell to Pandora's Box. It was clutched in 0050's hands. 0050 saw them looking and threw the box to 003, who was one of the cyborgs outside their jets. 003 caught it and held it for a moment.
Pandora and Fate were pale and sweating with nervousness. Panthos was trying to calm the trembling Epona and Poseidon the shaken Omega. ISV and OV clung to one another and hoped that the end was drawing near.
"Diana and Artemis have reawakened," Epona said in a shaken voice. "Akio and Rona have brought back 0017 and 0015."
Epsilon looked out the glass. His ruby eyes watched as 0021 and 009 tried to divert attention from 003.
She's given up hope, Omega thought. 0021 finally forgot her love for 009 and returned him to 003. I only hope, for our sanity, that this will end.
ISV placed her palm to the glass. Project Meteor couldn't be successful, or the end was upon the universe. Their hideout would be ripped open, and they would all become cyborgs like her poor sister. The usual jumped-up psychic was aware that a tear fell down her cheek.
All of Generation Zero knew what could happen either way the coin landed. Pandora watched as 003 placed her hand to the box's lock and lifted it. Pandora clasped a hand over her mouth as Josephine shot for 003's heart. In an instant, Pandora began to weep, but all hope was not lost. The bullet drew to be only a few inches from 003's very flesh, and…
((song goes on drugs. Sadie and Joe get onto the piano and begin to dance while the replacement pianist, Heather, enters))
Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I could swear that there's someone somewhere
Watching me
Just before the bullet had made contact with 003, she lifted the lid of Pandora's Box. A small child now sat in the open box, and held out her hand. The bullet was splintered into millions of shards and fell to a shocked 003's feet.
The little girl was hardly a foot tall. She had teensy hands and feet, and cute little powder blue ringlets framed her smiling face. Her eyes were bright blue green with purple around their rims. Out of her shoulderblades, through a ripped long-sleeved pale purple shirt, white wings burst. The shirt was draped over her entire body, and covered over her fingers, and her feet were clad in petite lavender slippers.
Josephine's eyes widened. "How…how…did you open the box?"
003 was hardly aware of what she had done. The little girl climbed onto 003's shoulder and kicked the lid of the box shut.
Pandora appeared. "Hope is released. I can take the box back…"
She was crying. As 003 handed Pandora the box, the little girl patted Pandora's head. Pandora smiled through her stream of tears.
"I hope you can help them, Hope." Pandora said, then vanished once more.
Hope, the little girl, hugged 003. "Sorry for scaring you. But we can exchange names a little later on. Both of us have work."
Josephine roared in rage. The purple vortex shot arms out to try and strike the cyborgs.
"Hey, Artemis…" Diana said. "How about we rock these dorks to the next millenium?"
0019 smiled. Josephine screamed.
"GOD DAMN YOU ALL! Wait…I am God!" Josephine realized. She cackled. An arrow came flying at her, and it was from 0019's bow. 0019 laughed.
"Never was there a better archer than Artemis!" 0019 shouted. The arrow collided with a purple arm and destroyed it. While Josephine was preoccupied with 0019, 0021 shot for Marco.
"SHUSH! My yeast is rising!" 0049 said randomly. Josephine stopped mid-cackle to blink at him. 0049 replied to this, "But look! It is!"
So all the fighting ceased and they watched the yeast rise…for five seconds.
0021 shot Marco down. 0019 turned around and laughed. Her wings threw off their black feathers and regrew white ones. 0019 gave a roar of laughter. "I AM ARTEMIS, GODDESS OF THE MOON AND HUNT!"
Suddenly, a white blast rang across the perimeter around Josephine. The purple began to recede to where Josephine stood.
"You can't do that," Josephine said.
"You're right," Diana added. "I can!"
A dark indigo bang blasted across where the white lingered. The two cancelled one another out and three people stood next to Diana and Artemis.
The one in the middle was a boy. He had messy golden-burnt-orange hair and burning, clear blue eyes. He wore a dark green muscle shirt and black basketball shorts. As a side note, he also wore a lot of golden bracelets.
On his right was a female. She had silver hair, twisted into a bun and held up by a white pen with a thirty-two pointed star at its end. Her bright blue eyes looked remarkably similar to Diana's, and she wore the exact same outfit…without the extra gold jewelry. Hers was silver.
The left also happened to be female. She wore a black version of the right girl's uniform and the same silver jewelry.
"UMBRA!" The girl on the left shouted. A dark blast was fired toward Pierre and Andrew, and succeeded in knocking Andrew off his guard. Pierre was engulfed by black flames.
"I'm not about to let you have all the fun, Umbra," The boy said. "SOLAR FLARE!"
A streak of red light flew across to counter the purple ones. The boy smiled. "Your turn, Luna."
"Thank you kindly," Her voice was like a tiny bell tinkling. "REFLECTION!"
All of Josephine's comrades were taken away by silver cords and trapped in a golden cage. The boy and girls hugged Artemis and Diana.
"Nice to see you two again," The dark girl said. Her voice was low and shy. She turned to face the cyborgs. "I'm Umbra, and this is my twin Luna. He's Helios. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Josephine threw a ball of black energy toward the cage. Helios kicked it back to her.
"I'll be watching from the other side," He said. "But you'll see me again soon enough, no?"
Through the wind and the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood
I can feel his approach
Like the fire in my blood
0014 drew her hand back and gathered energy. She threw her hand forward and gave Josephine a fat taste of hail and rain. In the distance, she heard Poseidon laughing.
"THAT'S NOT ALL!" 0042 shouted. A fountain of water came flying from 0042's palms and attacked Josephine. 0016 followed suite and set fire and ice from her own hands. The two high-fived one another.
Hope pulled herself into a tiny ball. 003 held the child to her chest and tried to be of some help. 009 looked to 0021. 0021 had abandoned her jet for the moment and was flying with rockets on her feet next to 002 and attacking Josephine on needle setting.
"GOD DAMN YOU ALL!" Josephine roared. She threw a ball of fire at 0021, who was knocked out cold and back into her jet. The hatch slammed shut on her skull and legs.
"No you don't, Josephine," Hope cried. Her tiny body was rapidly growing into an older girl's. "YOU HURT THEM, AND NOW THEY'LL HURT YOU BACK!"
Shadows of 0021, 0015, 0017, 0034, 0037, 0043, 007,Alexa, Raven and Jessica appeared. They were all scarred and frowning at Josephine.
"You fucking asshole," Alexa muttered.
"You God damn bitch! Rot in hell!" 0015 cursed. She drew Soul Eater over her head and cast it back down. It sent a line straight toward Josephine, burning with white power.
For a split second, billions of threads were illuminated. A white light illuminated the entire universe.
"ATTACK RIGHT NOW!" 0037 and 0049 shouted in unison. 004 knelt and unleashed missiles. 009 and 008 fired. 0016 gave all the fire and ice she could. 0050, out of her grand selection, chose thunder to send out at Josephine. 0014 cast lightning and hail down at her will. The shadows were not idle. 0017's drew in metal and pummeled Josephine with it. 0034 was firing bullets from both arms and missiles from both legs. 0043, 007 and 0021 were all firing on different settings.
0015 raised Soul Eater. Everything became deathly black. But suddenly, from where Josephine stood, a white light exploded. Everything retained its normal color. The shadows of the cyborgs vanished, possibly to return to their bodies. Alexa and her sisters remained.
"It's not over yet," Jessica said. Diana pulled Jessica close to her and hugged her.
"We know. We still have to fight one final bastard."
((song slows to a medium-paced dance tempo. Strings go on solo with percussion.))
Umbra and Luna kicked down the final door leading to Scarl. As if he were waiting for them, he was seated on a throne and watching the door intently. 0042 shot magma at him instead of her classic water.
"No need for that, 0042," Scarl said. 0042, Luna, Artemis, Diana and Umbra entered to start the fight off.
"We vote for who we want to bring back," 0050 said. "I can bring one back to fight."
"0021." 004, 009, 0016 and 0049 said in unison. 0016 turned to face their newly acquired ally, along with 0061 and Andrew. Pierre was back at the end of the world.
"And since when did you have a vote?" 0016 asked 0049 curtly.
"Since I joined your side, bitch," 0049 snapped back.
"DAMN IT, SHUT IT!" 0050 ordered. "0021's coming back for a little while. We just need to remember that she's kinda…hurt."
"I wouldn't worry too much," A sleepy Hope said. "She'll be fine. Just go easy. It's one final person and you have hope on your side."
She was tiny once again.
"Aw, isn't that cute," 0014 said. "Hope is such a small thing, and it makes the biggest difference."
0021 appeared next to them. Her hair was singed and she was bleeding. Her uniform was tattered and torn up, and her eyes were sparkling maliciously.
"Let me kill her," 0021 hissed.
"Uh, correction. Kill Scarl." 0050 corrected. "Go in there and kick his ass."
0021 ran in. Umbra and Luna blinked in her passing. 0021 struck Scarl with a flaming fist, making him stumble backwards. He returned the punch with three times her energy. She fell backwards and hit her head again.
"Nice mask, dickface," 0016 snarled. She shot her ice at him and his right arm melted away. Scarl stepped on 0021's chest and she instantly ceased living. 0016 shot him with her fire this time and ridded him of the mask.
There was a collective gasp around the room. For under the mask was…
A perfectly normal face. It was pointed, with messy dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. This was Scarl, the man behind the mask. It was uncanny.
((song regains a fast tempo, a little faster than the last chorus. Lights turn pink and bubbles burst into stars. We're gonna be speedin' at a really fast tempo with Sadie dancing and Joe on piano!))
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light
And he's gotta be sure
And he's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
A chain of vines wrapped around Scarl. He made no effort to escape.
"Andrew, my son, help your father," He commanded more than asked. Andrew shot him in response. It was a shot to the leg, not a big deal.
0021 bolted up from the ground. The room put on a face of absolute shock. She stood up, her uniform repaired by strips of red cloth, which doubled for binding her cuts. Her hair grew back and she laughed like all hell.
"Release him, Rose!" 0021 shouted. 0061 released him. He stood and faced 0021. "Your day has come, Scarl. You have an acceleration switch and so do I. Let's see if the student can defeat her master."
0021 took off in acceleration mode. Luna watched and saw she was increasing her speed every five seconds. Scarl was using his, but he wasn't moving as fast.
002 jumped into acceleration mode. "What's the problem? You seem a little outdated." And he shot Scarl. Scarl tumbled out of acceleration mode, allowing 0021 to get in more brutal punches and kicks than humanly needed. She at last left acceleration mode.
"Well, dickhead, it's really been awesome knowin' ja. But you know, this relationship was bound not to work out." She sang, kneeling down and poking the near-death overlord. "Nighty-night!"
And she shot him.
0021 turned to face the rest of her group. "Come on, we need to get outta here. The base is set for self-destruct in ten minutes. Let's get moving."
Luna and Umbra flew along the corridors looking for the way out. Luna was eventually the one who found it and alerted the others. 0021 raced along and punched the door straight out into space and got everyone out. She finally turned her back to face the structure as if to say that she was finally done with that era in her life…
And the base exploded.
Helios came into view; beaming at them and shining like the sun. He held Pandora's Box in his hands and three spools of thread on top of them. Generation Zero appeared next to him, and all of them were smiling.
"Black Ghost is done. Here…" Kronos said, opening a swirling vortex. 0099, a much younger version, stepped out. Her face was the same. From behind her jumped the one that had helped them during Operation Boom and Dust.
"It's my time," 0021 said, beginning to fade away. "I have to return to my body to heal fully. I'll remember this for the rest of my life," She said. Before she was gone, she grabbed 009 into a deep kiss. As she faded away, she parted and waved to him.
"Oh, holy shit," 0014 said, looking at where the base had been. All the debris was being sucked in by Earth's gravity.
They needed to save the planet without the whole team.
"This is your issue," Omega said, jumping for a meteor. "But we'll help. That was an awesome kiss."
Hope held out her tiny hands. "Come on, 003. Let's save the world."
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night
And he's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight!
In the jets, they were a lot more effective. They could blast the meteors before they even entered the atmosphere. Generation Zero, Luna, Umbra, Diana, Artemis, and Helios opted to stay out of the jets and use their powers to fight instead.
"LUNA RAY!" Diana and Luna shouted together. White bands wrapped around several meteors and hauled them back up, where 006 and 0016 burned them to a crisp. 0042 was harnessing the power of hydraulics to destroy meteors as they fell.
Diana faltered. "I can't take any more of this," She said weakly. Luna gave a determined look and blasted another meteor.
"Relax, Diana. You can rest. Or, you can go with 009 and Artemis to destroy the three bases." Luna replied. Diana closed her eyes. "I see."
009 and Artemis flew off toward the three orbiting bases.
"You destroy one, I destroy one, we destroy one together," Artemis confirmed. 009 used the bullets in the jet to destroy the base. All the glass and machinery shattered. Artemis simply held out her hand and the base exploded. Umbra set out a shield to protect the debris from falling to Earth.
Hope stood on 003's shoulders and thrust her hands out. "Open your heart, 003. We can destroy all these things and give everyone hope."
003 closed her eyes and opened her mind. She was aware of a tiny presence at the back of her mind. Without knowing, she whispered, "Give them all the hope they could ever ask for."
A pale purple blast shook the universe. 003's eyes snapped open. All the meteors were gone. The debris had vanished. Pandora was standing next to her. Hope was hugging her with all she could muster with her tiny body.
"Oh my God," 0016 said.
In front of her was a smiling Alexa, clad in a white summer dress. Jessica and Raven stood next to her, beaming as if there were no tomorrow.
"We're alive," Alexa breathed, not knowing what would happen. She skipped and laughed and flung her arms around Andrew. Pandora held a black crystal in her right hand, and a pale blue one in her left. She crushed the black one in her palm, smiled and shook her head. Alexa hugged Andrew, and Jessica and Raven hugged Artemis and Diana.
"Let's get back," Epona suggested. All the cyborgs but 009 flew back. He flew off into the horizon.
I NEED A HERO! ((Sadie and Joe jump onto the piano just as the lights on stage go out and the lights in the audience go on. Audience explodes with clapping and the curtains close.))